Frank h



(ModeL) FLH. GAFFNEY & H. A. NORWOOD.

KEEPING sAILs. No 250,799. Patented Deo.13,1 881.

Wi'EhE 55 E 5 Inventor.

flaw

UNITED STATES PATENT OEErcE.

FRANK H. GAFFNEY AND HENRY A. NORWOOD, OF GLOUCESTER, MASS.

REEFING SAILS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 250,799, dated December 13, 1881.

Application filed September 16, 1881.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FRANK H. GAFFNEY and HENRY A. NORWOOD, of Gloucester, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reefing Sails; and we do hereby deglare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification. V

Our invention relates to an improvement in reefing sails; and it consists in providing the sail with two series of reefing-ropes, one for the outer portion of the sail, and which is fastened upon the boom, while the other series is intended to reef the inner portion of the sail and extends back toward the helmsman, all of which will be more fully described hereinafter.

The object of ourinvention has been to provide an appliance for reefing the lower part of the sail, and which is always under quick and easy command. v

Figure 1' is a side elevation of our invention, taken from one side. Fig. 2 is a similar view taken from the opposite side. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the same.

A represents the mast, and B the sail, which is applied thereto in the usual manner, and which is provided with the usual ropes for raising and lowering it. This sail is provided with a series of guiding-eyes, O, which are made of any suitable material, and attached to the sail, so as to form a part thereof, in any suitable manner.

Fastened to the opposite sides of the boom and to the opposite ends thereof are the two series of short ropes D E, which pass through these eyes and areconnected to ropes F and G, by means of which all that series of short ropes are operated. These short ropes, being secured to the boom on one side and passing through the eyes and through guides which are secured to the boom on the opposite side, serve to draw the sail downward upon the top of the boom and to fasten it tightlyinposition. One of these ropes, F, passes forward beyond the center of the boom and can be fastened upon any suitable device, I, which is secured to the boom for that purpose. This rope and its se- (Model) ries 'of short ropes serve to reef the outer portion of the sail, and after being drawn down it is fastened around the holding device and left in that position .as long as may be necessary. The other rope, G, however, instead of passing forward toward the mast. passes back toward the helmsman, and is to be likewise fastened to the side ofthe boom to any suitable fastening device, L, which is provided for that purpose. This rope G and its'series of short ropes serve to reef the inner lower portion of the sail, and is separate and independent of the other series to a very great extent. These two ropes F G will be operated together when it is desired to reef the sail along its entire length; but when it is desired to reef the sail at one corner only then only one will be used. By securing the series of short ropes to the boom upon one side and passing them through eyes on thesail, a leverage is secured upon the sail so as to draw it snugly down upon the boom at any time; and by dividing these reefingropes into two separate and distinct series the whole sail can be quickly reefed by a single person, and that without having to "exert very much strength. Were the two series connected together in one, the friction of the ropes upon the sail and the pressure of the wind upon the sail would make the work greater than one man could perform.

Having thus described our invention, we claim- The combination of the boom, the sail B, provided with the eyes 0, the two series of ropes D E, secured to opposite sides of the boom, and passing through the eyes in the sail from opposite sides, one series passing through the eyes at the outer end of the sail and secured to the rope F, which passes forward toward the mast, and the otherseries passing through the eyes at the inner end of the sail and secured to the rope E, which passes back toward the helmsman, substantially as shown.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK H. GAFFNEY. HENRY A. NORWOOD.

Witnesses:

OYRUs STORY, FRANK E. SMoTHERs. 

